The old residential building was quickly surrounded by police cars, with the area below blocked off so tightly that not a drop could leak through, but the residents on Xu Huo's floor remained behind closed doors.
"Really don't know what kind of bad luck you've walked into, kid. It's the third time this month," the veteran detective leading the team, Zhao Biao, took the cigarette offered by Xu Huo, shook his head in sympathy, and then pointed to a black sedan parked behind the police cars, "Today, there are other people here to question you. Just tell them what you know, and you'll be fine."
Xu Huo looked over and saw a man in a crisp suit getting out of the car, his leather shoes gleaming, looking like a business elite out of place in the neighborhood.
The man looked at him and then walked over in a few steps, "You're Xu Huo? Let's talk in the car."
He looked at Zhao Biao and didn't inquire about Xu Huo's wishes.
"All right, I'm done here," Zhao Biao gestured with his hand.
Xu Huo followed the young man into the car, where they sat facing each other, while an individual resembling a secretary turned on a phone to record next to them.
"A different person today?"
The one initiating the question was Xu Huo. The secretary who was being asked glanced at the young man beside him. The man dressed like a gentleman took over, "I need to ask you some questions, and I hope you'll answer truthfully."
Xu Huo nodded. This car had come by twice before, but both times the secretary had been accompanied by a seasoned middle-aged man.
"Talk about what happened."
Xu Huo told the truth, and after listening to him, the young man began to ask:
"Why did you buy a refrigerator?"
"The one at home broke down."
"What kind of food do you usually like to eat?"
"Not picky, I eat anything."
"Have there been any changes in your appetite recently?"
"The weather is too hot, so I eat more vegetables."
"Did you experience any physiological changes when you were in contact with the victim? Like hunger, thirst, or increased strength."
"No."
"Your records show that you graduated from a top domestic university and come from a wealthy family. Why are you working as a temporary actor in Ting City?"
"I have a bad relationship with my family and don't want to rely on them."
"You have been a stunt double for two years and a temporary actor for four years in Ting City. Multiple directors have offered you acting opportunities; why did you refuse?"
"Personal preference."
The young man's gaze lingered on his face for two seconds, then continued asking:
"What do you think is the reason the criminals have targeted you three times?"
Xu Huo's tone, usually even, changed, "Victim-blaming theory?"
The secretary tried to smooth things over, "Mr. Xu, we ask this to determine the criteria the criminal gang uses to choose their victims..."
Xu Huo stared at the young man for a while, pondered, then said, "I'm not sure about the first two, but the one today said I smelled good, and it was a woman, probably because she thought I was handsome."
The young man's smile seemed mocking, "What do you think is different about that woman compared to average people?"
"She's rather twisted, tried seducing me the moment she walked in, and she has unusual strength, might have been a stunt double too."
"What did she say?"
"It wasn't long before she said she was an Evolver with a lot of money and asked me to save her."
"Do you recognize the person in the fridge?"
"I do, they often delivered packages around here."
...
The question-and-answer session lasted quite a while. After nearly two hours spent in the car, Xu Huo was finally released. As he was getting out, the young man handed him a business card, "If you experience any changes in your body, you'd better contact me. That's also the wisest choice."
"Ting City First Research Institute, Nie Xuan." Xu Huo, holding the business card, joked, "You're not going to capture Evolvers and slice them up, are you?"
"There are many rumors about Evolvers on the internet, but the outcome of not being properly managed is becoming like the woman who attacked you."
Nie Xuan didn't elaborate further; he stuffed the cigarette that fell in the car into Xu Huo's shirt pocket, gave it a pat, and walked away.
Watching the car drive off into the distance, Xu Huo put the business card in his pocket and lit another cigarette before heading back.
The police business wasn't wrapped up yet. Zhao Biao wanted to arrange for him to stay at a nearby hostel, but Xu Huo declined, saying he'd stay at a friend's house for a few days and packed a couple of pieces of clothing before finding a nearby hotel.
As soon as he entered the hotel room, a stifling hunger surged within him. Xu Huo shivered as he took a deep drag from his cigarette, then dumped the compressed biscuits from his bag into his mouth, but they did nothing to quell his craving. He covered his mouth and nose with his hands—his clean skin seemed to still carry the scent of human blood, tantalizingly fragrant.
After a few minutes, he rubbed his thighs hard and turned on his tablet.
A month ago, odd phenomena suddenly started happening all over the world. Along with these strange events, many people began experiencing insatiable appetites. The first victims were livestock and pets, and half a month ago, crime skyrocketed, with incidents of assaults, disappearances, and murders becoming the most frequent.
After the initial fermenting period, someone suddenly proposed the "Evolver theory," since along with the insatiable hunger came increased physical abilities and enhanced senses. Overnight, the public discourse was filled with talk of "earth's anomalies" and "human selection," with some extremist forums even calling on Evolvers to follow their instincts!
Of course, those forums were shut down immediately, but the danger wasn't these opinions; it was the uncontrollable hunger of the "Evolvers."
Xu Huo had encountered his first Evolver half a month ago, the second one ten days ago, and the woman today was the third.
The first Evolver was a newbie, with physical abilities and reflexes that couldn't keep up, acting purely on instincts, just like a wild animal.
The second Evolver had learned to disguise his insatiable hunger and had even blended into the set, fraternizing with him for a day, concocting an excuse to "stay over" at his house that night.
The woman who came today knew to disguise herself, but her ruse wasn't well-executed; it wasn't that she couldn't think of it, but more likely that she felt she had something to rely on and didn't need to conceal it from an ordinary person.
In a month's time, Evolvers had adapted to this state.
Xu Huo extinguished his cigarette butt and checked his pulse.
227 beats per minute, which was beyond the normal heart rate range, but not the fastest his heart had ever beaten—the fastest had nearly reached three hundred.
Normally, a heart beating too fast would result in dizziness, weakness, difficulty breathing, and even fainting and shock symptoms. However, since his heart rate anomaly started a month ago, he had gradually become accustomed to this heart rate in just ten days, with the highest nearly three hundred and the lowest below forty.
Besides heart rate changes and an insatiable hunger, his physical strength and sense of smell had also improved, and his previously slight nearsightedness had returned to normal.
But this was nothing compared to the woman he had seen that day.
That woman's physical speed was clearly superior to his. She was petite and naturally weaker than an adult male, and her progress was much greater than his and the previous two Evolvers he'd encountered.
"Is it because she's gone through the initial screening?"
Sitting at the end of the bed, Xu Huo repeatedly ignited the lighter in his hand, staring at the flickering flame:
"How can I get on that car?"
Just at that moment, his vision suddenly darkened, followed by a bright half-transparent projection screen:
"Player attributes detected, offering the following three professional options:"
"A Gambler; B Adventurer; C Passerby A."